Bastarnae (RTW unit)

Bastarnae (RTW unit)
Class	Heavy Infantry
Unit Size	160 men
Weaponry	Rhomphaia
Morale	10
Melee Attack	14
Ranged Attack	N/A
Defence	6
Charge Bonus	6
Accuracy	N/A
Range	N/A
Ammunition	N/A
Region	Global
Recruitment Cost	790
Upkeep Cost	130
Turns to Build	2
Unit Limit	Unlimited
Building Requirements	Army Barracks
Technology Requirements	None
Attributes	Can hide in forests 2 Hit points Fast Moving Good Morale

Fierce warriors adept at close quarters against other infantry, Bastarnae may attack without orders.

Overview

The Bastarnae are a particularly ferocious tribe from the northern Balkans who rejoice in man-to-man combat. Some scribes would have it that there are no fiercer men in battle, and they are a formidable resource for any Thracian commander: they are highly unlikely to break and run. Even their weapon of choice - the rhomphaia - is a cruel looking, curved blade sharpened on the inner edge, like a sickle. With one blow, this weapon is capable of severing an arm or leg.

Each Bastarnae warrior also carries a small shield, which other than his helmet is his only protection, not that this lack of armour worries these fearless fighters for a moment!

Often tattooed and with blue-dyed hair, the only concern with such battle-hungry fighters is that they are liable to fling themselves into the fray at the earliest opportunity.

Details

Bastarnae are a barbaric unit only available to Thrace. Their strong attack makes them quite dangerous to units with low defence. They will struggle against the elite units of other factions such as Royal Pikemen due to their low defence, The Bastarnae are not for holding the frontlines, they are far more suited as ambushers or a flanker. While they will likely destroy weaker infantry or cavalry by the time they will be available to Thrace most factions would likely have armies with stronger units. A unusual aspect of the Bastarnae is that they have two hit points unfortunately there low defence negates any advantage a second hit point will bring.

The Bastarnae are not without their uses however, a good method to use them is to have attack a unit in the flanks or a unit already engaged with another, this allows their strong attack to make short work of most units. They can also be useful in watching the flanks of a Thracian pikeline. Overall the Bastarnae are to be considered a glass cannon, their attack can be devastating to infantry or cavalry when used right but if caught off guard or stuck in a battle of attrition their low defense will be their Achillies heel.

Factions

Thrace